~ Yes, there are severe storms in the Old Dominion!

#vawx Not just twiddling my thumbs

So what does a storm chaser do this time of year when northwest winds howl, dew points rival those of the Sahara, and the “hot” weather news is divided between frozen precipitation and wind chill values?

The simple answer is “other stuff”. One such item involves going through chase equipment, performing maintenance on or replacing as necessary. I’ve just received a new point-and-shoot Fujifilm model that represents a decent upgrade from my 5+ year old existing camera. (Now, what do I do with the old one?) There are a couple of other items that I’ll likely add or replace over the next 3-6 weeks.

Another “chore” is choosing which 2015 chase photos I will have printed at 11″x14″ (or larger) to post on the garage wall. Each year I typically add one photo from Plains chasing with the Hokie Stormchasers and one from Virginia chasing. Choosing the particular pictures to print is next on my winter season to-do list.

I am also providing a storm chase presentation next month at the Franklin County Library in Rocky Mount VA. On Thursday February 25th I’ll point the chasemobile in that direction for a 6:30 start time. I’m looking forward to it for many reasons, the main one of which is that I get to talk chasing!!